Remarkable Person: Karen Wells

For McDonald's executive, nutrition is all in the family

"There's not much I can do about the past, but we can certainly shape the future for our time with our children," says Karen Wells. (William DeShazer, Chicago Tribune)

It's hard enough planning a menu for a family of four. Imagine taking on that task for 26 million customers. That's just another day at the office for Karen Wells, vice president of nutrition and menu strategy for McDonald's.

"I feel so blessed. The other day I cooked breakfast for my kids," said Wells, a Naperville mother of two who recently went part time at work to spend more time at home. "It's amazing to get the opportunity to see them off in the morning. I missed so many mornings."

Wells, who has been climbing the corporate ranks at Oak Brook-based McDonald's for two decades, said her role as a mother has definitely rubbed off in her job. She spent the last six years leading the team that made several nutritional changes to the McDonald's menu.

"We have fruit in every Happy Meal and smaller portions of fries, to name a couple," she said.

"Whether it's with vegetables or whole grains, we've made some quantum-leap changes this year in the continued evolution of our food. We've got a whole nutrition department now."

Q: You said you think your husband deserves this honor over you. Why?

A: I actually looked up the word "remarkable," and according to the dictionary "remarkable" means, "Worthy of notice and extraordinary." That's my husband (Rundy). We celebrated 20 years of marriage last week. He is one of the most selfless, giving, unbelievable people I've ever met. He could teach "husband" in daddy classes.

Q: Was there a particular moment or event that led you to cut back at work?

A: Yes. My aha moment was last year when our daughter was crying one night when I was on my way out of town. She said she'd been talking with her friends and they were all sharing tender childhood memories with their moms. She said she tried hard and couldn't come up with any. I'm tearing up now just thinking about it. I was on the road for long stretches for most of her life. It was a bit of a wake-up call for me and one that my husband and I prayed over. There's not much I can do about the past, but we can certainly shape the future for our time with our children.

Q: What's the most surprising thing about going from working nonstop to working part time?

A: How fast the day goes! I still go into the office a couple days a week and will work remotely at home, but I'm so grateful that they allow me this flexibility. And I make my children raise their right hand and vow to always hug and love on me. Our 13-year-old son is 6 feet tall and I still tell him to sit on my lap.

Q: What's the best lesson you've learned from your parents?

A: It would be from my mother. She is what I call my "shero." She is a woman who has overcome adversity in many different ways. She faced challenges with being divorced as well as a single parent, but her outlook on life has always been positive. There are nine children: three sets of twins, and I'm a twin. My mom raised seven of the nine kids as a single parent. She went through a lot and it never stopped her. She was always looking for the next thing to help us to make it better.

Q: What did you want to be when you were 13?

A: Out of poverty. We were so poor. I mean, my mother made my clothes. We walked uphill to school; I know it sounds like a cliche but it's true.

Q: Complete this sentence: If I only knew then …

A: Slow down. Enjoy the experience instead of racing to the next thing. I hurried through college so I could graduate early and then went on to further my education, got into the corporate world and I just didn't enjoy the journey. Also, I wish I'd had more kids. I always wanted four kids. I have two, and they are the most amazing things, but if I'd started sooner, I would have two kids in college now and two at home.

Q: What do you think makes a great leader?

A: Integrity and authenticity.

Q: What's your mantra? in 10 words or less?

A: All is well. There's a verse in the Bible where a mother loses her child and she has such faith in God that no matter what tragedy she faces, she still responds, "All is well." It takes a lot of trust and grace, but when people ask "How are you?" my answer will always be, "All is well."